Not all “sea” powers have aircraft-carrying ships. The construction of not even the newest of the floating airfields requires hundreds of millions of dollars. And such as the aircraft carrier "Ronald Reagan" - several billion. Allow such costs can only economically developed powers: Japan, Spain, Italy, India, Britain, France, China, Russia. But they also have ships of this class - a few.
U.S. aircraft carriers
In the list of powers that have heavy aircraft carriers in the arsenal of the navy , the United States is leading . The total number of such ships they have is more than twenty combat units. Of this amount, half of the aircraft carriers - with a displacement of up to 100 tons and a nuclear propulsion system. One of them is the aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan. Its onboard serial number is CVN-76.
The purpose of such a huge floating airfield is to gain a dominant position at the same time both at sea and in airspace. An aircraft carrier can stop near the coast of any state in neutral waters and receive and land aircraft of a certain class without coordination with the authorities of the countries of the region. This can greatly expand the capabilities of the grouping of naval and land forces due to the substantial support of defensive and offensive operations from the air.
A type
The aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan belongs to the Nimitz class. The name comes from the first ship in the series with the serial number CVN-68, named after the admiral of the US Pacific Fleet during World War II (Chester William Nimitz). The abbreviation (CVN) is deciphered as a multi-purpose aircraft carrier with a nuclear power (propulsion) installation. In total, such floating airfields were issued 10 combat units. CVN-76 - the ninth in a row, it was launched in 2001.
Carriers of this type have replaced similar ships of the Enterprise series. It was planned to release at least five units, but as a result, only CVN-65, commissioned in 1961, was launched. He ended his combat duty in 2012. It was the first aircraft carrier with a nuclear installation on board. The fuel in his reactor was enough for 12 years of operation without rebooting. The construction of the largest warship (343 m) was too expensive for those times, and the project had to be closed.
Nuclear Aircraft Carrier Ronald Reagan - Peace by Force
The next series of ships, it was decided to call the names of famous US figures. The first was the Nimitz, followed by two more ships: Dwight Eisenhour, Carl Vinson. Then there were improvements and a new subtype of the series: Theodore Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, John Stannis, Harry Truman. CVN-76 - aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan (photo above), was named after the fortieth president of the United States. His motto was - "Peace - by force." Each of the ships at the time of launching was in its class the most advanced floating airfield. Newer in its class is the only George Bush aircraft carrier (CVN-77), commissioned in 2009. This ship was the final in a series of type "Nimitz".
A continuation of the design idea was the new generation aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), which was already launched, but not yet tested. This is an advanced model with a new type of nuclear installation and various additions. Its price, according to various sources, is $ 13 billion. According to the US military doctrine , at least 11 heavy aircraft carriers should be present in the fleet at present. The construction of the next ship in this series is ongoing.
Ronald Reagan Aircraft Carrier: Features
All the ships of the series were built according to the standard design and differ only in details: radar systems, hangars for wing, internal decks. CVN-70, for example, has additional systems and equipment for training the coordination of actions of ships in the composition of formations and groupings. Basic characteristics of aircraft carriers of the Nimitz type: 333 m long, 77 m wide flight deck, displacement - 97 thousand tons, draft - 11 meters.
CVN-76 differs from its predecessors by an improved superstructure with a large runway overview. The development of radar and new types of electronic protection and detection obliged designers to mount this part of the ship with a margin of opportunity for mounting new systems that have not yet been invented, but may appear before the end of the design service of the ship (50 years).
Also on this aircraft carrier are not four brake cables, but three. The designers removed one, but due to the saved space, they significantly improved the remaining ones in order to improve the capture system and the amortization of effort when landing heavier aircraft. The number of steam catapults (four) has not changed.
The stem of the ship below the waterline protrudes forward and has a drop-like appearance. Due to this, a ship with a wide deck (CVN-76 has its upper overall size is almost twice as large as at water level) provides stability during sea waves and sharp turns. In addition, this keel shape allows you to develop greater speed and provides better stability of the bow of the ship at the time of takeoff from its edge.
Armament
The aircraft carrier "Ronald Reagan" is a floating military airfield as intended. Despite the fact that the CVN-76 is a warship, there are so many weapons in its arsenal. Its main power is focused on aircraft and helicopters based. In addition, an aircraft carrier of this type, as a rule, is the core of an aircraft carrier strike group (AUG). Such a ship does not go on a hike alone. He is somewhat vulnerable. A reliable escort team is usually located nearby: a missile cruiser, several destroyers, a multipurpose submarine with a nuclear installation, high-speed escort and maintenance transports, and refuellers.
Nevertheless, to repel the threat from a possible breakthrough of enemy aircraft, there is anti-aircraft artillery (four six-barreled guns) of 20 mm caliber and three short-range missile systems. To protect against enemy torpedoes in the wake, there are mine-torpedo weapons (two three-pipe torpedo tubes) with a caliber of 324 mm.
Wing
The main weapon of the CVN-76 is its aircraft. The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan can carry up to 90 aircraft and helicopters at a time, depending on the goals and objectives. Given its own radar systems, as well as the capabilities of scouts, one AUG can keep control of up to 600 km.
In this case, any launch of anti-ship missiles that could harm the group will be recorded at a considerable distance. The target will be captured and destroyed by means of destruction from air or escort ships. The danger to the aircraft carrier with the coordinated work of all components of the AUG is minimal. It is believed that no power with its military potential at the moment can resist a full-fledged grouping with an aircraft carrier of the Nimitz type at the head.
The standard equipment of an air wing of 78 aircraft includes 56 fighters, of which 36 are with the possibility of bombing (F / A-18). There are 6 helicopters (2 rescue and 4 anti-submarine). Electronic warfare provides 8 aircraft (4 electronic warfare and early warning radar). Protection against enemy submarines provides 8 anti-submarine aircraft.
An air wing can carry missiles on pendants: anti-ship, tactical, supersonic anti-radar, air-to-air class. And bombs: planning, guided aircraft, cluster, laser-guided. Aircraft may have guidance modules and additional electronic warfare systems on board.
Autonomy and staff
The US Navy aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan can take on board provisions for crew and personnel for 3 months of continuous operation at sea. The useful area of all its decks is 1.8 hectares. The ship has more than 4,000 rooms, there are eleven warehouses, three churches, two shops, a hairdresser, a gym, and a post office. The kitchen works almost round the clock and closes for one hour - for cleaning. Ordinary money on the ship is not in use. Each upon landing receives a special card for payments for additional goods and services.
One fueling in two reactors is enough for 20 years of battery life. Their capacity is 260 thousand liters. from. (or 191 MW). Four turbines can provide speeds of up to 56 km / h (30 knots). 3200 people manage the floating airfield, the air group - 2800 people. Up to 11 million liters of aviation fuel can be loaded on board the ship . At the same time, up to 450 people can work on the flight deck. In order not to get confused when performing work, they are dressed in a special uniform of different colors: red ones are responsible for arming aircraft, green ones are responsible for servicing brake systems, yellow ones are for regulating movement, white ones are monitoring overall work safety.
Purpose and use
In addition to exercises and combat missions, the aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan participated in rescue operations. So, in 2010, in an emergency on an American cruise ship “Carnival Splendor” with 4.5 thousand people on board, CVN-76 provided them with food and essentials.
In 2011, he participated in the aftermath of earthquakes in Japan. Helicopters from the aircraft carrier delivered medicines, equipment and products to the disaster area.
Combat duty
In 2006, CVN-76 participated in the resolution of the conflict in the Persian Gulf. One of the fighters of his wing during the night landing crashed into the deck, caught fire and was lost. The pilot during the incident managed to eject and survived.
According to the latest information from open sources, the atomic carrier of the US Navy Ronald Reagan is in good technical condition. At the end of 2015, he arrived at one of the military bases of the Japanese Navy. There, he should replace on duty the nuclear carrier “Washington Washington”, which, as planned, should return to his home base.